Our boys and girls teams opened their season Dec. 5 at the Dover Family YMCA, where our boys and girls combined for 20 state cut times, qualifying for the end of season championships at the opening meet.

The girls team continued their unbeaten streak, splashing off a 98-72 win. The boys put together a solid outing as well, falling just four points shy of the Riders, 79-83.

The girls took home a first-place finish in the 200-medley relay with the team of Victoria Evans, Gretchen Maughn, Camila Figueroa and Sam Petty touching comfortably ahead of Caesar Rodney. Sussex Academy would also claim points as Catherine Elder, Paige Blaine, Lillie Bradley and June Hale touched in third place.

The Riders would get some revenge in the other relays though as they claimed first in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Figueroa, Maughn, Caitlin Perchiniak and Madeline Perchiniak took silver in the 200 while Petty, Evans, Caitlin Perchiniak and Kendall Rhodes took second in the 400.

All three “A” relay teams qualified for the state championships.

Individually the Seahawks would sweep first place in three freestyle races as Evans (100), Petty (50) and Caitlin Perchiniak (200) touched first. Evans would be golden again in the 100 back while Maughan got her individual win in the 100 breaststroke.

The girls team tallied eight of the individual cut times with Maughan qualifying for the 100 back (1:09.24) and 200 Individual Medley (2:16.21). Caitlin Perchiniak qualified in the 200 free with a 2:14.55. Evans earned her state cuts in the 100 freestyle (1:00.66) and in the 100 back, touching with a 1:04.18. Figueroa qualified in the 100 fly with a 1:10.2 while Petty notched two times in the 50 free (27.34) and the 100 free (102.28).

Combined with second place finishes in the 100 back (Figueroa), 500 free (Caitlin Perchiniak), 200 individual medley (Maughan) and 200 free (Rhodes) the Seahawks were off the races to topple the Riders by a 26-point margin.

CR got first place finishes in the 200 IM (Alison Lynch), 100 Fly (Serena Prystash) and 500 free (Prystash) to help keep the contest close.

On the boys side, Sussex Academy jumped out to an early lead with a victory in the 200-medley relay as Michael Whitaker, Jackson Proctor, Angel Figuerora and Christian Wright took gold. They would continue their dominance in the relays, grabbing first place in the 200 and 400 free.

Kieran Probert, Sebastian Scruggs, Edward Hale and Wright earned the 200 win while Figuerora, Hale, Probert and Proctor got the 400 victory. All three boys “A” relay teams qualified for the state championships.

In team swimming, places matter, as the Riders were able to claim second and third place in all three relay races, surrendering just two points each time to keep the meet close.

Individually the Seahawks were sharp as well, taking gold in the 200 free (Wright), 50 free (Wright), 100 fly (Figueroa), 500 free (Hale) and 100 back (Probert). But again, the Cesar Rodney depth helped secure valuable places and points. They swept first through third in the 200 IM and 100 free, and then took second and third in the 100 fly and 100 back. Eric Lewis won the 200 IM for CR while Caleb Dufresne won the 100 free. They added points by taking first (Lewis) and second in the 100 breast stroke. The meet was close until the end as CR pulled away in the 100 breast with a 10-point outing, meaning the final race, the 400 relay would decide the meet. While the Seahawks took the victory and the Riders second, it was the third place race that went to Cesar Rodney, giving them the four point swing, securing a win instead of the meet ending in a tie, 83-79.

The boys earned state cut times in the 500 free with Hale swimming 5:43.9. He added a 200 free cut time with a 2:05.2. Figueroa nabbed a qualifying time in the 100 fly with a 56:38. Probert added a 24.91 to make the cut in the 50 free while Wright joins him in that event swimming a 22.94 and added a 200 freestyle cut with a 2:01.97.